Supporting rack for floor cleaning equipment and the like



Dec. 6, 1966 M. FEDERMAN 3,289,851

SUPPORTING RACK FOR FLOOR CLEANING EQUIPMENT AND THE LIKE Filed April 16, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 7 F76. I I ti u n n n INVENTOR.

MURRAY FEVER MEN XMW ATTORNEY M. FEDERMAN Dec. 6, 1966 SUPPORTING RACK FOR FLOOR CLEANING EQUIPMENT AND THE LIKE Filed April 16, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

MURRHY FEVERMH N fEa/Wm ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,289,851 SUPPORTING RACK FOR FLOQR CLEANING EQUIPMENT AND THE LIKE Murray Federman, Brooklyn, N.Y., assignor to Glamorene, Inc., Clifton, N .J a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 16 1965, Ser. No.- 448,617 11 Claims. (Cl. 2114) This invention relates generally to a display rack and more particularly to an improved construction of a display rack having means for lockably supporting and displaying therein against unauthorized removal or theft relatively expensive devices displayed for rental purposes, such as rug cleaning and floor waxing machines and other such household rental equipment.

Among the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a rack wherein a number of relatively heavy units of household cleaning equipment, such as rug cleaners, floor waxers, floor polishers and the like, all of which are conventionally fitted with extended operating handles, may be suspended from the rack by their handles so that the operating heads of the machines hang free of any bottom support and thereby are less likely to be injured or soiled as the machines are selectively removed from or replaced in the rack.

Another important object of the invention is to provide the rack with laterally spaced hook means with which the handles of the stored machines may be readily engaged for suspension in the rack of the several machines in spaced non-interfering relation to one another and which insure that each machine, as it is placed in the rack, always asumes a single same position relatively to its support.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a supporting rack for the machines having simple and easily manipulatable means for locking the severalmachines against removal from the rack, thereby insuring against theft or unauthorized removal of any one or more of the machines from their supporting rack.

A still further object of invention is to provide a rack of the character aforesaid wherein the hook means from which the machines are suspended serve to prevent unintentional and undesired outward swinging of the handles of the machines when the locking means is opened for selective removal of any one or more of the machines from the rack, each machine being secured held upon its own individual supporting hook by the suspended weight of the machine in consequence of which any one of. the machines may be removed without disturbing any of the others or incurring the nuisance and, in some instances, the danger of free-swinging handles of machines which are not being removed from the rack.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent hereinafter, it being understood that the invention consists in the combination, construction, location and relative arrangement of parts, as described more fully in the following specification, as shown in the accompanying drawings and as finally pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation view of a display and its supporting frame as constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view of the rack and frame as taken along the line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the lockable rack and its associated locking bar shown in separated relation with respect to the supporting frame;

FIGURE 4 is a partial side elevational view of the rack as seen from line 44 of FIGURE 1;

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FIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view as taken along the line 5-5' of FIGURE 4;-

FIGURE 6 is a rear elevational view of the rack assembly shown in FIGURE 3; I I I FIGURE 7 is a bottom plan view of the rack assembly shown in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged view of the rack portion inscribed within the broken line ellipse 8 of FIGURE 1 showing. the handle of a machine engaged with one hook of the rack for suspending the machine therefrom; and

FIGURE 9 is a trans-verse view, partly in section, as taken along the line 9-9 of- FIGURE 8".-

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, it will be observed that the display rack ofthe present invention comprises a main frame having a pair of side members 1010 preferably formed of metal tubing suitably interconnected and held in parallel relation by an upper transversely extending tie-rod 11 and' a pair of floor-engaging bottom tie-rods 12-12,- the tie-rods being also preferably formed of metal tubing and being secured to the side members as shown by wing-nuts 13 threadedly engaging studs extending from thetie-rods and through the side-frame tubing. To further rigidify the frame, each of the side members 1010 may be provided with vertically spaced perforated sheet metal bracing members 14 having their opposite ends suitably welded or otherwise secured to the front and rear legs of the side members, while the rear legs of the two side members themselves may be interconnected by a sheet-metal back panel 15. This sheet-metal back panel 15 may be provided with uniformly spaced perforations to serve as a peg board for detachably receiving brackets 16 or the like for supporting welded wire or other shelves 17 therebetween in any desired spaced relation, which shelves may be removably supported by the brackets or be formed integrally with the latter as shown in FIGURES l and 2-.

Also, if desired, the rack frame may be fitted at its top with a transversely extending basket-like tray or support 18 which in turn supports at its rear a vertically extending display panel 19 suitably imprinted or illustrated to direct attention to and describe the equipment which is stored in the rack for rental to potential users thereof.

The rack of the present invention is particularly characterized by the provision therein of lockable means for suspending by their operating handles a plurality of household rental equipment units, such as rug' cleaning machines, fioor polishers, floor waxers and the like, with their operating heads spaced freely above the floor. To this end, the side members 10 -10 of the frame are of such height asto provide for a vertical spacing between the upper cross-rod -11 and the bottom cross-rods 12'12 of the frame which is-substantially greater than the overall suspended length of the largest unit to be stored and displayed in the rack, all of which units, as has been mentioned above, are of the type having r'ela'tively'long operating handles.

For so suspending the several units in this work-utility suspending rackportion of the frame, there is rigidly secured to the upper cross-rod 11, as by spot-welding, an auxiliary wire frame 20 ofgenerally rectangular shape having a pair of vertically spaced horizontal rods 21 and 22 rigidly secured in parallel: relation to one another and to the cross-rod 11 by a plurality of laterally spaced vertically extending parallel tie-rods 23, these latter rods being all. welded or otherwise secured at points intermediate their lengths, as at 24, tothe main cross-rod 11 so as to" space the rods 21-22 one above and one below the level of said main rod 11. If desired, the opposite endmost vertical tie-rods 23 of the wire frame may be secured, in any suitable manner to the uppermost bracing member 14 at each side of the main frame to thereby rigidify and secure the wire frame against any tendency to shift angularly out of its vertical plane.

Also welded to the top horizontal cross-rod 11 of the main supporting frame and to the bottom rod 22 of the auxiliary frame 20 are a-plurality of laterally spaced, generally J-shaped hook-elements 25, each having a vertically extending leg portion 26 extending from the main rod 11 downwardly across and below the rod 22 of the auxiliary wire frame 20 and a horizontally extending portion 27, which latter projects frontally of the frame 20 and terminates in a freely extending angularly related stem 28. These stems 28 are each slightly inclined upwardly with respect to the horizontal and are all disposed in a common vertical plane spaced frontally from the general vertical plane of the auxiliary frame 20 a distance sufiicient to permit the handles of the work utilities to be respectively slipped onto and held by the freely extending stems 28.

In order to rigidify the hook-elements 25 and hold their stems 28 in fixed spaced relation, each of said elements is secured to the bottom rod 21 of the auxiliary wire frame by an angular bracing element 29 also formed of wire stock.

The operating handles 30 of the work-utilities to be sup ported in'the rack, are conventionally of tubular form as best shown in FIGURE 8, and in order to adapt them for suspension in the rack of the present'invention, each such handle is provided adjacent its outer end with an aperture 31 extending through the side wall of the handle tubing. The handle aperture 31 is of sufiicient diameter to permit the handle of a given unit slipped onto any one of the stems 28 for suspension thereon of the unit with its oper ating head held freely spaced above the bottom of the main frame of the rack. The slight cant of the stems serves to assist in holding the handles in supported engagement therewith and, if desired, to still further insure against any possibility of the handles slipping off of the stems the free ends of the latter may be capped or otherwise enlarged, as at 32.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the rack as above described may support in freely suspended relation upon the several spaced stems 28 a plurality of units, such as are shown in phantom in FIGURE 1, any one or more of which may be easily removed from the rack as desired without interference by or disturbance of the remaining suspended units.

In order to prevent theft or other unauthorized removal of a unit from the rack, there is provided a locking means which will now be described. This locking means com prises a horizontally shiftable locking bar 33 which is slidably supported by a pair of angular brackets 34-34 respectively secured at opposite ends of the auxiliary wire frame 20, each such bracket having a portion 35 extending across and secured to the elements 25 and 29 at each end of the frame and having also a forwardly projecting portion 36 which-is apertured, as at 37, for projection therethrough of the locking bar 33. This bar is preferably of non-circular form as are the apertures 37 of the bar-supporting brackets 3434, whereby to prevent rotation of the 'bar about its longitudinal axis.

Fixed to and projecting forwardly from the locking bar 33 are a plurality of generally L-shaped elements 38 which are spaced along the length of the bar in correspondence with the spacing between the stems 28 from which the work-utility units are suspended. Upon shifting movement of the locking bar 33,'the several elements 38 carried thereby are respectively shifted toward and away from the correspondingly spaced fixed stems 28 supported by the top cross rod 11 and its associated auxiliary frame 20.

from their associated stems 28 sufficiently to permit the handle of a suspended unit to be freely slipped 01f its supporting stem for removal of the unit from the rack.

Preferably, the handle-embracing elements 38 are formed of bent wire as shown to provide a pair of divergent leg portions 39 and 40 the free ends of which are both secured, as by welds, to the bottom of the locking bar 33, thereby reinforcing the elements against undesired flexing. Also, if desired, the terminal ends of the freely extending portions 41 of the elements 38 may be capped with a rubber tip 42 or the like as a protection against marring the finish of the work-utility handles as they are slipped on 0 off their supporting stems.

For securing the bar 33 in locked position, the end thereof which presents in the direction of its locking movement, i.e., the right hand end thereof as shown in FIGURE 3, is provided with a wire loop or bail 46 which is adapted to project through an aperture 43 formed in a member 44 fixedly secured to the main supporting frame of the rack. A padlock 45 may then be locked upon the loop 46 projecting through the apertured member 44 to prevent withdrawal of the lock bar 33 from its position as shown in FIGURES l, 8 and 9, in which position the several handle embracing elements 38 carried by the lock bar serve conjointly with the fixed stems 33 on the rack to securely retain the handles of the suspended units against any possible displacement from the stems 33.

When it is desired to remove a utility from the rack, it is only necessary to unlock and disengage the padlock 45 and then shift the lock-bar to the left as viewed in FIG- URE 3 whereupon the handle-embracing elements 38 are spaced sufficiently away from their respectively associated stems 33 to permit any one or more of the work-utilities to be freely slipped off of their supporting stems and removed from the rack.

It will be understood that the present invention is susceptible of various changes and modifications which may be made from time to time without departing from the general principles or real spirit of the invention, and it is accordingly intended to claim the same broadly, as Well as specifically, as indicated by the appended claims.

Thus, .in one extreme shifted position of the locking bar,

What is claimed as new and useful is:

1. In combination, a plurality of work utility units each having an operating head and an elongated handle for manipulating the same characterized by the provision in said handle of a socket adjacent its freely extending grip portion and means for releasably suspending said utilities with their operating heads hanging free and supported solely by their respective handles, said means including a main frame having laterally spaced side supports interconnected by an upper transversely extending cross-bar, a plurality of fixed support elements carried by said crossbar in transversely spaced relation each having a freely extending stem portion presenting in the same direction and adapted to receive thereon the socketed portion of the handle of one of said units, a locking bar shiftable relatively to all of said stems, means carried by said bar adapted, when said bar is shifted into locking position, to embrace the handles of the units suspended from said stems and thereby prevent displacement of said handles from said stems, and means for immovably securing said bar in its said locking position.

2. In the combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said manipulating handles of the units are of tubular construction and said socket is formed by an aperture provided in the side wall portion of the handle.

3. In the combination as defined in claim 1 wherein the stem portions of said fixed support elements are all correspondingly oriented and spaced relatively to one another whereby to facilitate respective seating of the socketed portions of the handles of said units upon said stern portions for suspension of said handles in a substantially common vertical plane and wherein the handle-embracing means carried by the shiftable bar comprises a plurality of elements each having a portion extending across said Ver tical plane of suspension of the handles to limit disengaging movement of the handle of a suspended unit.

4. In a display rack for a plurality of household rental units and the like each having an operating head and an elongated manipulating handle, said handles being each characterized by the provision therein adjacent the outer end grip portion thereof of a socket extending substantially at right angles to the handle axis, said rack comprising a main frame having a base portion and a pair of side supports rigidly secured together to provide a substantial expanse of open space therebetween, and suspension means in said frame for releasably supporting therein a plurality of units in transversely spaced relation, said means including a plurality of support elements carried by said frame and disposed in fixed spaced relation within said open space of the frame, each of said support elements having a freely extending stem presenting toward the same one side of the frame for detachably receiving thereon the socketed portion of a handle of a unit to be suspended in said frame, and locking means shiftable on said frame relatively to said fixedly spaced stems, said locking means including a plurality of elements respectively adapted, when said locking means is shifted in direction opposite the direction of projection of said stems, to respectively embrace and confine handles of suspended units between said shiftable elements and their respectively associated fixed stems from which units are suspended.

5. In a display rack as defined in claim 4 wherein means are provided for securing said locking means against shifting movement relatively to said frame and said fixed stems.

6. In a display rack as defined in claim 4 wherein said locking means includes a rectilinearly shiftable bar upon which said handle-embracing elements are mounted in spaced relation corresponding to the spacing of said fixed stems.

7. In a display rack as defined in claim 4 wherein said handle-embracing elements are each provided with portions extending across the plane of the vertical axes of the suspended unit and with freely extending terminal portions presenting in direction opposite that of the fixed stems.

8. In a display rack as defined in claim 7 wherein said fixed stems are inclined upwardly with respect to the horizontal and are disposed generally along a line spaced below and inwardly of the oppositely turned freely extending portions of the handle-embracing elements.

9. In a display rack as defined in claim 4 wherein said fixed stems are carried by a cross-rod extending between and secured to the top portions of the frame side supports.

10. In a display rack as defined in claim 9 wherein said fixed stems are additionally supported in rigidly fixed, spaced relation by an auxiliary frame carried by said frame cross-rod.

11. In a display rack as defined in claim 7 wherein said rectilinearly shiftable lock bar is non-rotatably and slidably supported in opposed transversely spaced guide brackets respectively fixed in position inwardly of said handle-suspending stems and wherein said stems are disposed substantially in a common vertically extending plane disposed approximately midway between the vertical plane of shift of said bar and the common vertical plane of the terminal portions of said handle-embracing elements.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,471,712 10/1923 Sohnle 206l5.1 2,951,588 9/1960 ONeil 2114 3,022,895 2/ 1962 Kingsley 2114 3,204,774 9/ 1965 Barbieri 2114 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

W. D. LOULAN, Assistant Examiner. 

4. IN A DISPLAY RACK FOR A PLURALITY OF HOUSHOLD RENTAL UNITS AND THE LIKE EACH HAVING AN OPERATING HEAD AND AN ELONGATED MANIPULATING HANDLE, SAID HANDLES BEING EACH CHARACTERIZED BY THE PROVISION THEREIN ADJACENT THE OUTER END GRIP PORTION THEREOF OF A SOCKET EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE HANDLE AXIS, SAID RACK COMPRISING A MAIN FRAME HAVING A BASE PORTION AND A PAIR OF SIDE SUPPORTS RIGIDLY SECURED TOGETHER TO PROVIDE A SUBSTANTIAL EXPANSE OF OPEN SPACE THEREBETWEEN, AND SUSPENSION MEANS IN SAID FRAME FOR RELEASABLY SUPPORTING THEREIN A PLURALITY OF UNITS IN TRANSVERSELY SPACED RELATION, SAID MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF SUPPORT ELEMENTS CARRIED BY SAID FRAME AND DISPOSED IN FIXED SPACED RELATION WITHIN SAID OPEN SPACE OF THE FRAME, EACH OF SAID SUPPORT ELEMENTS HAVING A FREELY EXTENDING STEM PRESENTING TOWARD THE SAME ONE SIDE OF THE FRAME FOR DETACHABLY RECEIVING THEREON THE SOCKETED PORTION OF A HANDLE OF A UNIT TO BE SUSPENDED IN SAID FRAME, AND LOCKING MEANS SHIFTABLE ON SAID FRAME RELATIVELY TO SAID FIXEDLY SPACED STEMS, SAID LOCKING MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF ELEMENTS RESPECTIVELY ADAPTED, WHEN SAID LOCKING MEANS IS SHIFTED IN DIRECTION OPPOSITE THE DIRECTION OF PROJECTION OF SAID STEMS, TO RESPECTIVELY EMBRACE AND CONFINE HANDLES OF SUSPENDED UNITS BETWEEN SAID SHIFTABLE ELEMENTS AND THEIR RESPECTIVELY ASSOCIATED FIXED STEMS FROM WHICH UNITS ARE SUSPENDED. 